All-Star Government And Stay To Play

[catlady]

Sorry I didn't answer your question but the fact that they don't shows that they don't have to. Counter point- why do they primarily require it at big events?

The big events, with the exception of a few, are at government owned facilities (also sport fields) and if you read the article above in its entirety it explains how the Senate Bill allows hotel tax dollars to be used to pay out incentives to their customers (EP's) for their convention centers.

@MissCongeniality the article and quote you presented from Hotel News Now and Hotel and Leisure Advisors are interesting and I'm not going to take anything away from them on their perspective of STP but, it doesn't have anything to do with the article above and the governments hand in providing incentives from hotel tax dollars to gain customers at their convention centers.

I provided the above article that parents can take away what they want. Not all Varsity events are STP. Disney provides a travel package for athletes or they can take the commuter fee. Duel in the Desert is not STP but, Varsity provides discounted hotel packages for those that want them. American Royale takes place at a private convention center and does not have STP but, is a "Partner Perfect Event" where hotel stay is required. The inconsistencies in the way each event is handled city to city, the above article, and different housing and programs connects the dots for me. If it does not for you, I'm truly okay with that. I do not understand why posting an article on government using hotel tax dollars to provide incentives to gain convention center customers is upsetting you. It is self explanatory and it doesn't need or have to be argued, it's just stating a fact. I don't believe these types of incentives are going to go away and I do believe we are the ones that are going to have to change our mentality on what is and isn't necessary to attend to keep AS affordable.

 

[mischiefmanaged]

CP's team doesn't do STP events, we have stayed "local" I guess you can say but the competitions are still a 4 hour drive away from where everyone lives. That being said we have gone to events at Arizona state fair grounds, Chase field and most are at the Phoenix convention center. We have looked at going to other events for next year but STP has turned us off, CP's team is a registered nonprofit and so STP does not help us to keep costs lower for parents. Yes the bigger events look fun but to me it's not worth the extra money to be told you have to stay at a certain hotel instead of finding your own accommodations. Especially since CP goes to events at places like these ones without us having to do STP. EP's are very much getting the money from that.

On the other hand we have a competition this weekend, it just so happens to fall during spring training. It took a long time to find a hotel we could afford because all the hotels in Phoenix have upped their rates due to the people coming in for spring training. In that case it is the hotels that are making the money.

 

[MissCongeniality]

The big events, with the exception of a few, are at government owned facilities (also sport fields) and if you read the article above in its entirety it explains how the Senate Bill allows hotel tax dollars to be used to pay out incentives to their customers (EP's) for their convention centers.

@MissCongeniality the article and quote you presented from Hotel News Now and Hotel and Leisure Advisors are interesting and I'm not going to take anything away from them on their perspective of STP but, it doesn't have anything to do with the article above and the governments hand in providing incentives from hotel tax dollars to gain customers at their convention centers.

I provided the above article that parents can take away what they want. Not all Varsity events are STP. Disney provides a travel package for athletes or they can take the commuter fee. Duel in the Desert is not STP but, Varsity provides discounted hotel packages for those that want them. American Royale takes place at a private convention center and does not have STP but, is a "Partner Perfect Event" where hotel stay is required. The inconsistencies in the way each event is handled city to city, the above article, and different housing and programs connects the dots for me. If it does not for you, I'm truly okay with that. I do not understand why posting an article on government using hotel tax dollars to provide incentives to gain convention center customers is upsetting you. It is self explanatory and it doesn't need or have to be argued, it's just stating a fact. I don't believe these types of incentives are going to go away and I do believe we are the ones that are going to have to change our mentality on what is and isn't necessary to attend to keep AS affordable.

@catlady Do you work for Varsity or are you somehow affiliated with them? You misinterpreted what I wrote - The article re government did not upset me in the least. I read everything I can whether I agree with it or not and do not have a stake in the game whatsoever, so it is no skin off my back. I think STP is an absolute ripoff to parents and am glad our days of being held at gunpoint as to lodging choices are over. The ONLY entity that STP benefits is the entity requiring STP (oh and the housing organization they have do their dirty work)

 

[coachrah]

I think this Senate Bill is only for Illinois? Does anyone know differently?

 

[SharkDad]

I think this Senate Bill is only for Illinois? Does anyone know differently?

Yes, That article is only for Illinois.

 

[SharkDad]

@catlady No one is upset in this thread that I can tell. There are only 2 points of contention.

1. The incentive in your article to provide tax dollars to promote tourism DOES NOT = stay to play or relate to it in any way. Your article doesn't even try to relate it, but that is your premise. According to your article the incentive should be a benefit to the consumer by making it cheaper and encouraging them stay in that/those location(s). Stay to Play is a mandate to the consumer to stay in the block of rooms the event producer has contracted. The only one who benefits are the entities that @MissCongeniality pointed out. This doesn't make Varsity evil, no one is saying that (in this thread), but it should be made clear who is benefiting from stay to play and who is not to those of us who are paying for it.

2. Your article is about Illinois only. It does not reference any other municipality or government incentive so there is no correlation to any competition in any other state either for or against stay to play.

I thank you for your post and this thread. It made it possible for @MissCongeniality to post one of the better explanations of Stay to Play I have seen.

 

[catlady]

I think this Senate Bill is only for Illinois? Does anyone know differently?

@SharkDad

This article is specifically about IL, however, it is a copycat from other cities:

Dallas Convention Center: Dallas renews deal to use hotel taxes to market convention center | News | Dallas News

Atlanta Covention Center: http://www.atlantaga.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=6826

Just Google "the city you are interested in" hotel tax convention center

@catlady Do you work for Varsity or are you somehow affiliated with them? You misinterpreted what I wrote - The article re government did not upset me in the least. I read everything I can whether I agree with it or not and do not have a stake in the game whatsoever, so it is no skin off my back. I think STP is an absolute ripoff to parents and am glad our days of being held at gunpoint as to lodging choices are over. The ONLY entity that STP benefits is the entity requiring STP (oh and the housing organization they have do their dirty work)

I have never worked for Varsity, I worked for May Corp (now Federated) for 20 years, the majority of the time as a Customer Service Exec but, also as a buyer and store exec. I tend to stay quiet on a lot of things about Varsity but, sometimes the claims are just a little too over the top to ignore. Corporations do not go out of their way to upset or out price their customer. This posting was not to applaud or condemn STP but, to show that government often strong arms our industries (and therefore us). The two articles you posted from the hotel perspective on STP are spot on but, what they don't go into is how the government tax on hotel rooms is forcing them to either reduce rates or just lose night stays. The article below is another that shows how GA lawmakers decided to put an addition $5 tax on hotel rooms for road repairs and transportation funding. Dallas and Atlanta provide incentives for their convention centers (articles above) but, Bailey Hutchison and the GWCC are in the top ten ranked for square footage, there aren't a lot of choices for large comps. As a Customer Service Exec working on behalf of the customer, I would have despised STP but, from the Corp. standpoint you choose the best space for what you need, take the incentive, offset the costs, try to get the best rates you can for your customer and deal with the fallout the best you can.

New hotel tax will hurt Savannah, others

 

[coachrah]

@catlady No one is upset in this thread that I can tell. There are only 2 points of contention.

1. The incentive in your article to provide tax dollars to promote tourism DOES NOT = stay to play or relate to it in any way. Your article doesn't even try to relate it, but that is your premise. According to your article the incentive should be a benefit to the consumer by making it cheaper and encouraging them stay in that/those location(s). Stay to Play is a mandate to the consumer to stay in the block of rooms the event producer has contracted. The only one who benefits are the entities that @MissCongeniality pointed out. This doesn't make Varsity evil, no one is saying that (in this thread), but it should be made clear who is benefiting from stay to play and who is not to those of us who are paying for it.

2. Your article is about Illinois only. It does not reference any other municipality or government incentive so there is no correlation to any competition in any other state either for or against stay to play.

I thank you for your post and this thread. It made it possible for @MissCongeniality to post one of the better explanations of Stay to Play I have seen.

This article from 2009 written by an attorney who was involved in United States Fencing Association clearly outlines the issues taken by consumers and participants in a youth sport. Interesting to note that after he wrote this letter... Stay to Play was not instituted: Stay’n Play saga continues. | Coach Ilya's blog

 

[catlady]

This article from 2009 written by an attorney who was involved in United States Fencing Association clearly outlines the issues taken by consumers and participants in a youth sport. Interesting to note that after he wrote this letter... Stay to Play was not instituted: Stay’n Play saga continues. | Coach Ilya's blog

This coach is stating how STP is forced and how he feels it is illegal. My question to you is who is ultimately making the decisions, whether in laws or in court?

Just because STP wasn't "instituted" does not mean it wasn't "strong armed". Hotel taxation is high for government purposes. Hotels don't like high taxation, it eats into their profits. Event planners used to negotiate blocks and provide housing services as a win-win for both their customer and themselves. Now, hotels (because of high taxation) are needing specific numbers of guaranteed rooms booked to insure profit from these discounted prices EP's are needing so people will attend their event. In turn, this forces EP's to get those number booked, if the don't, the price goes up next year making their event less appealing to their customers. City government provides the incentive for the convention centers/fields through their cities hotel tax, and in AS and many youth sports, government owned facilities are often the only option. When you are hosting an event for thousands of out of town guests, you have to make sure they can get housing close by and at moderate cost or they won't come. Taxation comes full circle. Do you still think government and their courts are going to side with the coach in this article?